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Professional Development Workshops • Basic Needs Ambassador Training • Tuesday, March 10 th , from 10AM- 3PM at the Chancellor’s Office • Technology to Build Awareness of Basic Needs Services • Monday, April 6 th , from 2-3PM via Webinar • I CAN Help Training • Thursday, April 30 th , from 8AM- 5PM at the Chancellor’s Office • Basic Needs Research Consortium • Tuesday-Wednesday, June 2- 3, at the Chancellor’s Office
BRINGING STUDENTS HOME JOHN Options for Addressing Homelessness BURTON Among College Students ADVOCATES FOR YOUTH February 25, 2020 www.jbaforyouth.org
John Burton Advocates for Youth Foster youth Homeless youth Education Housing Health Technical Assistance Textbook Fund Advocacy & Policy & Training
Prevalence of Homelessness Among California’s College Students - CSU CSU Students • 1 in 10 of CSU students experience homelessness (10.9%) • 1 in 4 students who were former foster youth experience homelessness (24.9%) • 1 in 5 of African American first-generation students experience homelessness (18%)
Homelessness – Risk Factors History of homelessness with families Experience in foster care LGBTQ and gender non-conforming students Young parents Immediate or unexpected financial crisis Economic instability and lack of safety net
Who is homeless? HUD Education Definition Definition Primary nighttime residence not meant for human habitation (cars, X X parks, abandoned buildings) Emergency shelter X X Residence will be lost within 14 days with no other residence and X inadequate resources or supports Fleeing domestic violence with no other residence and inadequate X resources or supports Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic X hardship, etc. (couch surfing and doubled up) Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the X lack of alternative adequate accommodations
Addressing Homelessness Requires a Multi- Pronged Approach Campus- Referral to based community emergency homeless resources services Develop Partner on-campus with housing housing resources providers
The Homelessness Response System
Continuums of Care (CoCs) Continuum of Care (CoC) Basics • Entity that receives and administers HUD funding • Regional but not exclusively county-based • 44 CoCs in California • Primary vehicle for helping people who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness • Determines local priorities and makes funding decisions
HUD Provider $381 million Provider Continuum of $$$$ Care STATE FUNDING Provider How funding flows from HUD and some state programs to housing & Provider service providers
HUD Housing Administered by Housing not Continuums of Care administered by the CoC: Housing Choice Emergency Transitional (Section 8) Vouchers & Public Housing Shelter Housing Permanent Affordable Housing THP-Plus (foster Permanent youth) Rapid Supportive Rehousing Runaway & Homeless Housing Youth Act (RHYA)
What is a Coordinated Entry System? Without CES With CES
How Does CES Work? Referrals to Safe & Access Assessment Prioritization Housing Stable Resources Housing Problem-Solving / Connections to Mainstream Resources
CES Access Points May be Single or Virtual or Phone Multiple Points Access of Access Youth Street Coordinated Outreach Entry
Eligibility & Prioritization for Housing Resources • Eligibility Lacks a fixed, regular, and ➢ Often must meet HUD Definition of adequate. nighttime residence: Homelessness for federal programs (i) living in a place not meant for ➢ Additional Program Requirements human habitation; (e.g., veteran status, senior, chronically (ii) living in a shelter. homeless, families, serious mental illness, youth) • Prioritization ➢ Vulnerability: Chronic Homelessness, Disability, and other factors • Youth-targeted resources
Practical Strategies for Campuses
1. Make Referrals to CES Know your community’s coordinated entry access points • Familiarize key campus staff with locations & phone numbers • Are there youth-specific access points? • What is the eligibility and referral process? • Refer students in need of housing to appropriate access points • Ensure that if students are current or former foster youth, they are referred to the child welfare agency or local provider.
2. Co-locate with a provider that assesses for coordinated entry. Partner with the Provider with CES Continuum of Care or contract can assess local provider to bring students on campus and coordinated entry refer to housing and assessment on campus. services.
3. Get involved with CoC stakeholder meetings • Opportunity to influence community priorities • Stakeholder input was required for the HEAP planning process and open to the public. • Get involved before critical input periods if possible Continuum of Care (CoC) Roster: https://www.jbaforyouth.org/coc-roster
4. Participate in the Homeless Point-In-Time Count. • “Snapshot” of people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January; administered by Continuum of Care in odd years • Main source of data used by federal government • Determines federal funding allocations to address homelessness and impacts state funding as well Ensure homeless students • Volunteer for the count are included in PIT Counts • Make sure homeless students complete surveys Point-in-Time Count CoC Roster: https://www.bcsh.ca.gov/hcfc/documents/pit_count_coc.pdf
5. Target resources to students with greatest needs Develop clear protocols for determining housing status and targeting housing resources Evaluate risk factors Ensure financial aid is being maximized Create systems that are flexible and trauma-informed
6. Ensure your campus’ financial aid policies address student homelessness. Ensure financial aid administrators understand rules on how to make a homeless determination Reevaluate Cost of Attendance based on individual circumstances Prioritize special populations in timing of disbursements Modify SAP appeals policy to make homelessness an extenuating circumstance Allow students to defer housing deposits until financial aid is available FAFSA Visual Guide for Homeless Youth (JBAY): https://www.jbaforyouth.org/fafsa-guide-homeless-students
7. Ensure your campus is fully implementing AB 1393 & AB 1228. AB 1393 (Skinner, AB 1228 (Gipson, 2009): Priority housing 2015): Priority housing for current and former for current and former foster youth homeless youth • CSUs required to grant priority for: Cannot ✓ Student housing generally charge during ✓ Year-round student housing breaks ✓ Housing open for most days in year
8. Partner with local housing providers to develop long-term solutions Find housing providers in your community: • Develop relationships over time • Take advantage of state and local funding opportunities
Homeless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP) - 2018 • Program $500 million one-time block grant to address homelessness Overview • Funding Funds distributed to 43 Continuums of Care and 11 Largest Cities • Mechanism Each local agency developed a system to distribute funds to providers • Key At least 5% of the allocation MUST be used to establish or expand Elements programs to meet the needs of youth experiencing homelessness • Student Three housing providers received HEAP funds to implement college- Housing focused rapid rehousing with local community colleges (San Joaquin Delta, Santa Rosa JC, Southwestern) • Imperial Valley College received a direct allocation for services
H OMELESS H OUSING , A SSISTANCE , AND P REVENTION P ROGRAM (HHAP) - 2019 • $650 million one-time block grant to address homelessness Program Overview • Funding Funds distributed to 43 Continuums of Care and 13 Largest Cities Mechanism and 58 Counties • Each local agency developed a system to distribute funds to providers Key Elements • Allocations are based on each CoCs proportionate share of the state’s total homeless population based on the 2019 homeless point-in time count (PIT). • At least 8% of the allocation MUST be used to establish or expand programs to meet the needs of youth experiencing homelessness
HHAP I MPORTANT D ATES HHAP TIMELINE Program Guidance October 29, 2019 Allocations announced based on 2019 PIT count and January 2020 NOFA released Deadline for jurisdictions to submit applications to February 15, 2020 State Final date to award funds to jurisdictions April 1, 2020 Deadline for program funds to be contractually May 31, 2023 obligated Funds shall be fully spent June 30, 2025
HHAP A LLOWABLE U SES 1. Rental assistance 2. Rapid rehousing 3. Operating subsidies in new and existing affordable or supportive housing units, emergency shelters, and navigation shelters 4. Incentives to landlords, such as security deposits and holding fees 5. Systems support to create regional partnerships and maintain a homeless services and housing delivery system 6. Hotel and motel conversions 7. Prevention and shelter diversion to permanent housing 8. New navigation centers and emergency shelters based on demonstrated need
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